The new crossover certainly gives Nissan a vehicle that can compete on an equal footing with the new Toyota RAV-4 and Honda CR-V. The styling is aggressive, sophisticated and provocative. This combination of attractive sheet metal, car-like handling and ride characteristics and interior functionality is very appealing to buyers. The front passenger seat on some models will fold flat providing about 2,591 mm of space for long items inside the vehicle. Standard 60/40 split folding rear seats provide additional versatility for seating and cargo storage.
On the functional side of things, the Rogue includes some nice features. A large console has been designed to include a place for pens, business cards, a memo pad and, of course, plenty of CDs. It contains front and rear cup holders, a removable box for tissues or more CDs, a coin holder and places for your cell phone or sun glasses, garage door opener or wallet.
 The luxury feel continues on the road with a quiet, comfortable ride and a well-insulated cabin. The Rogue`s four-wheel independent suspension minimizes the irregularities of the road. At highway speeds the Rogue is smooth and quiet, with road, wind and engine noise barely audible. Nissans Rogue uses a CVT (continuously variable) transmission. Nissan calls its CVT "Xtronic". Its city fuel consumption rating of 8.7 and 8.3 L/100 km for all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive respectively. With highway consumption of 7.7 L/100 km (AWD) and 7.2 L/100 km (FWD).
The 2.5-litre four-cylinder is the same engine found in the new Altima and the Sentra SE-R (170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque). And with the CVT modulating rpm, it is easy to let the speed creep up on the freeway: best to keep an eye on the speedometer. Power steering is electric but closely mimics traditional rack and pinion power steering. Easy to turn at low speed, the steering firms up nicely as speed increases with a good on-centre feel.
Standard safety features include dual stage front air bags with passenger seat occupant detection system, front seat side air bags and side curtain air bags for both front and rear seat occupants. Four-wheel disc brakes and anti-lock brake system (ABS) are standard, as are traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC - stability control). With all-wheel drive, the VDC can redistribute torque front to rear. The Rogue`s all-wheel drive system provides a 50/50 front to rear power distribution for stable starts on both dry and slippery roads.
The compact crossover segment is becoming one of the most competitive in the automotive market. Nissan Rogue is a competitive newcomer and will likely take more than its share of the market. Test drive was done by Grant Yoxon.
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